Can Laser Surgery Be Used in Breast Cancer Treatment?

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women (aside from non-melanoma skin cancer). Advancements in laser technology have significantly benefited breast cancer treatments.

Significance

Until the development of recent treatment methods, most breast cancer treatments of the twentieth century involved invasive surgery to remove the entire breast, which, while effective for removing and preventing recurrence of cancer in the treated area, came with many side effects and risks, and failed to cure many patients.

Functions

Lasers are used as minimally-invasive approaches for destroying tumors. High-intensity laser light energy is delivered to a fiberoptic cable placed in the tumor, resulting in heat that is able to destroy the tumor while it is still in the breast. (Lasers are also now used to detect breast cancer tumors.)

Procedure

Local anesthesia is used around the tumor. A laser needle is inserted into the center of the tumor through a small knick in the skin, followed by a small, multisensor thermal needle inserted through another site. The laser energy used to destroy the tumor depends on its size.

Efficacy

The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center reports that laser therapy is effective for destroying tumors in the majority of patients. The Society of Interventional Radiology reports that one study found complete tumor destruction was achieved in one session in 66 percent of the tumors treated; another study showed 93 and 100 percent tumor death in two groups.

Side Effects/Risks

The Society of Interventional Radiology reports that there have been no adverse side effects reported after laser therapy breast cancer treatment. The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center reports that the laser procedure is safe and has minimal pain.

Advantages

Breast cancer patients have an alternative to having their entire breast surgically removed in order to expel the cancer from the body. With laser treatment, the focus is on destroying only the cancerous cells, and not unaffected body parts.

References

• University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, on CancerNews.com: "In Situ Ablation Of Breast Tumors. What Is The State Of The Art?" by Michael S. Sabel, MD
• Society of Interventional Radiology: "nterventional Radiology Treatments Offer New Options and Hope to Patients Who Are Not Good Surgical Candidates" 2009
• Breast Cancer Research Program: "Breast Cancer Functional Imaging with Optics and MRI"

Resources

• American Cancer Society: Lasers in Cancer Treatment